The Administrative Core provides leadership, coordination of activities, exchange of information and ideas and common resources for the Research Base of the Center. All mailings, announcements of meetings and programs, correspondence with visitors and seekers, and correspondence with trainees and awardees are done through the Obesity Research Center office. In addition, the Columbia University Faculty Seminar on Appetitive Behavior is coordinated out of this office as are announcements of the research seminars and meetings at the differing sites. During its twenty-nine years of existence, the NYONRC Administrative Core has acquired experience in the administration of a multi-disciplinary, coordinated program designed to provide a wide array of research-related services to cooperating investigators. In particular, the Administrative Core has evolved experience-based policies relating to the setting of priorities for allocation of Core resources and the development of guidelines covering eligibility for Membership and for Pilot/Feasibility grants. In addition, the Administrative Core has developed procedures for formalizing the recording of Internal Advisory Committee and External Advisory Committee meetings, writing progress reports of the Center, disseminating announcements of outside speakers, scheduling Columbia Seminars on Appetitive Behavior, and in maintaining records of subcontracts, P/F awards, purchases, and expenditures. The Administrative Core has dealt successfully and expeditiously with the organizational changes that have occurred through the years, as previously described in the historical overview.